Direction signal for motor vehicles



July 21, 1931. J. P. WILLIAMS Y 1,815,367

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 18. 1929 lllill ll f ik;

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 21, 1931 lerares JOHNP. LVZILLAMS, F FRESNO, CALIFORNIA 'DIRECTION SGNAL FOR lVIOTOR VEHICLES Application filed February 18, 1929.

This invention relates to direction signals for motor vehicles, especially closed cars, one object oit my invention being to provide a device of this character which may be easily attached to a vehicle so that the signal may be readily seen both from the front and rear of the same, and which avoids the need of giving hand signals.

Further objects are to provide a signal of such a nature as will be effective both by night and by day, which is neat and ornamental in appearance, and in which the operating mechanism is arranged so that a positive signal may be accurately and quickly given, and

which when given leaves both hands of the driver free for the proper manipulation of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to produce ar simple and inexpensive device and '20 yet one which will be exceedingly ei'i'ective for the purpose :for which it is designed.

rlhese objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will Jfully appear by a perusal oi? the 2,5 following specification and claim. In the drawings similar characters oi' reference ini dicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. l is a rear view of my improved signal device as connected to the front body post of a motor vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the signal arm.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the arm.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the switch box.

F ig. 5 is a cross section of the box taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral l denotes a bracket to be applied against the outside of the left front body post 2 and on which the signal arm is mounted, and 3 is the switch box cover and bracket unit combined, adapted to be applied against the inner face of said po-st.

The outer and inner brackets are rigidly connected together and clamped against the post by a pair of vertically spaced tubular bolts 4 projecting through the post.

The signal arm comprises a cylindrical Serial No. 340,798.

glass tube 5 closed at its outer end-and'covered by iaanetal sheath 6 of similar shape but somewhat. long rerV an d having iongitudinally and horizontally opposed windows 7 in its front and back sides. A socket 8 to removably receive the base ofa standard lightV buib 9 removably ts in the inner end of the sheath and bears at its outer end against .a'resilient washer 10 engaged with vthe inner endof the glasstube. This socket member` isl provided with a standard Contact pin structurel with which the current conductingwire l2is adapted to: be operatively connected in the customary manner. A metal cap 13 is arranged tot over the inner end ofthe sheath and to be se cured'thereto by the ordinary bayonet' lock arrangement indicatedlat'l4. llt/hen the cap is'thusmounted a'fla'nge l5 on the cap'bears againstthe inner end of said socket 8 and presses the sameagainst'the washer i0; also .acting to Apress -'the outer end of the 'tube against a resilien't'pad 16 mounted in the outer end of "the sheath Vbetween said sheath andtube.. jIn'this manner all'parts ofthe socket Iare readily detachable but when :assemled are prevented from` any loose tive toea-ch other. l

The end cap 1sY provided with an earl'tc play relaengage the, bracket l 'and isv pivotaily connected thereto bya horizontal. pin V18. A short Yarm lwprojects, upwardlyiiroin'the cap :and serves fasthe connection for one enid of a pull wire"lQ'which-projects through vthe rupper bolt 4. At/its inner lendthis-wire is connectedtothefupper endor" an arm '2O -which projects upwardlyroman'd isl iixed on the forward endoiE a horizontal shaft 2l which extends lengthwise of the vehicle This shaft 4is mountedzin -theholi'cw switch vbox structure whiclkis made-or" insulation m-a'terialand is mounted'infand supported bythemet'alvcover-S. The vshaft projects through therear face of this cover andis provided with a turning knob.

The A'sh-att is also 'of insulation material and on the interior offtheboxfisprovided rwitlra circular metal band 24 whose ends are separated, the plane ofi-separation being 'on top oft-he :shaft when the A latt-er is turnedA to move' the signal arm to a: neutral position.

Secured at one end in the box in vertically opposed and insulated relation to each other are spring Contact strips Q5, one of which engages the top of the shaft between the band or the adjacent portion of the band, while the other constantly engages said band on the bottom of the shaft. @ne strip is connected to the wire l2 and the other is connected to wire Q6 which leads to a suitable source of current (not shown).

The wire l2 leads from the signal arm through the lower tubular bolt el, while the wire 26 extends down the side of the post to inside the car. `When the signal is in a neutral position the upper contact 25 engages the shaft between the band so that the circuit is then broken; the knob 23 being then in a vertical position. On turning said knob to the right or left from such position the signal arm will be correspondingly raised or lowered and the upper contact strip will then engage the metal band on one side or the other of the break, closing the circuit and causing the bulb to be illuminated.

The shaft and band are notched at the spaced points thereon where the contact strips engage the same at the respective positions of the signal, while the strips 25 are provided with small protuberances as shown, which fit into therecesses.

These strips are of fairly stiff metal so that this arrangement causes the shaft and parts connected thereto to remain set at any position to which they may be moved, unless intentionally turned from such positions by manipulation of the knob 23.

The glass tube is preferably colored red inside so as to show red when the bulb is lit, but is colored white on the outside so as to give a dull appearance when the light is extinguished and the signal is dead or in a neutral position. The tubular bolts not only provide a convenient means for rigidly connecting the parts of the structure together in proper relationship, but also serve as conduits for the necessary operating and current wires, thus maintaining a neat appearing structure, as will be evident.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A direction signal structure for a motor vehicle comprising a signal member having a horizontal pivot to extend lengthwise of the vehicle, a support for said pivot adapted for JOHN P. WILLIAMS.

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